We’ve all got a bit of a sweet tooth sometimes. There’s nothing wrong with a little indulgence every now and then. But sugar, especially refined sugar, like what you find in candies, cookies, and delicious baked goods, is as bad for your skin as it is for your waistline. To keep a healthy glow in your skin, you’ll want to stick to healthy natural sugars, like fruits, maple syrups, and honey, and away from carbs, and refined sugars.
Otherwise, you’ll find yourself struggling under one of these not so flattering skin problems.
1. Cause Breakouts
Though a sugary diet won’t actually cause acne or breakouts, it will definitely make your skin oiler. Sugar increases inflammation, making your skin look puffier, and making clogged pores more likely and more prominent. Diets high in sugar can also suppress your white blood cell count, which makes you more vulnerable to bacteria, including the bacteria that can cause breakouts, blackheads, and overly large pores.
2. Increases Inflammation
When you eat something sugary, your body produces insulin to help stabilize your blood sugar. The increased inflammation causes everything from puffy skin, to discoloration. If you suffer from redness or other hyperpigmentation problems, the inflammation caused by regular sugar intake can only make it worse.
3. Ages Your Skin
One of the things regular sugar intake does is to break down or interrupt the production of collagen in the body. Collagen is the hormone in the body that protects the skin against damage. Less collagen means more wrinkles. It also means your skin takes longer to heal from damage, like sun and wind damage. Keep your skin supple and soft with foods high in healthy fats, and stay away from sugars!
4. Worsens Your Allergies
Sugars suppress insulin production, increase inflammation and even impact your immune system over time. Not only can too much sugar be damaging for your teeth, and your overall health, but it impacts existing allergies and food sensitivities. If you suffer eczema and other skin conditions, sugar can make them worse. But taking B vitamin supplements can help lessen the effects of too much sugar on your skin.
What To Eat Instead
Along with vitamin B to help offset the effects of too much sugar, you should be mindful of natural sugars by lowering your carb intake. Adding more fruit to your diet is another way to add healthy sugars along with B vitamins and the balanced nutrition you need. Stay away from sugar substitutes like Stevia, and stick to natural sweeteners. Honey, maple syrup and coconut sugars are good ways to sweeten dishes and desserts naturally. But keep in mind, they have a much higher sugar content, with fewer vitamins than fruits. That puts them in the “enjoy in moderation” category.
Everyone likes a sweet indulgence sometimes. But too many sweets can wreak havoc on your skin, and have a lasting impact on your overall health. Keep your skin healthy and youthful by making smart choices that include natural sugars and plenty of vitamin-rich veggies, too!
